Bleeding Out
by Kayami Naru
Summary: In the last battle, Kagome is willing to do anything to defeat Naraku. *loosely based on the song Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons*


"_I'm bleeding out. If it's the last thing I do."_

Everything was noise and noise was blinding. Everyone was moving and everything was happening so fast that Kagome didn't have a chance to properly pay attention to anything as she dodged teeth, tentacles, and talons. Rolling along the muddy, blood soaked ground, the dark haired miko grit her teeth at the sensation of rocks tearing into her arms. Arrow knocked, Kagome rolled onto her knees and let it fly through the barrage of demons surrounding her.

They just kept coming.

No matter how many she, or Sango, or Miroku, or anyone killed, they just kept pouring out of Naraku's vile body. Growling in a way that might impress even Sesshomaru, Kagome stood to her feet and looked around her. Blood was splattered everything, ranging in all colors of the rainbow as it fell from demon and human alike. Inuyasha was head to head with Byakuya, Sango was furiously fighting hoards of demons, Miroku flanked her, Kouga and his wolves were zipping all over the battle field as they fought Kagura and Kanna, Sesshomaru was clashing sword with pike against Hakkudoshi. She was the only one standing still as her eyes continued to scan the field for their one true enemy.

Naraku.

Where was that coward hiding? With a scowl, she spread her aura over the field and poked about trying to find the vile creature. Finally, she spotted his dark aura swirling near the edge of the forest. Turning sharply, she ran in that direction, shooting demons as she went. No one noticed her go.

The foliage was no deterrent as she ran. She ran and she ran. Her heart was pounding and her ears throbbing as blood rushed through them and adrenaline made her hands shake. Finally, she found him. He had a self confident smirk on his face and a malevolent glint in his eyes. Between his fingers, he rolled the near complete jewel almost teasingly.

"Ah, dear little Kagome, how nice of you to join me."

Kagome pressed her lips into a hard line and didn't say anything as Naraku rose from his seated position against the well and grinned. Her blood boiled at the sight of him so close to her home, to her future. Miasma licked and swirled at the wood of the well; Kagome could feel the magic of the ancient wood spark and crackle in response, in defense. Naraku saw her eyes on the well and he smirked.

"Whatever is wrong, little miko? Scared that I'll hurt this old, useless well? Or, could it be that this well is more than it seems?"

Kagome ground her teeth together, her fists balled tightly and she glared at the evil hanyou.

"Get away from there, Naraku," she warned dangerously. Naraku chuckled at the threat and placed a defiant hand on the wood. He held back a wince out of pure will power when the pure energy of the well fought against him. The magic was old and weak, though, no match for the powerful miasma he was forcing into the grains.

"And if I choose not to heed your threat?"

Kagome snarled at him, knocked an arrow, and let it fly at the evil creature. It tore through his flesh easily enough, but the evil one just laughed and floated in the air.

"Not so easy, little Ka-go-me. You'll need to try a little harder, if you can," he teased.

"If it's the last thing I do, I'll bring you down. I'll bleed out for you, if it means tearing you down."

Naraku only grinned and soon, as his body re-molded and shaped it, there was no more talking.

Sesshomaru stood in the field filled with massacre and could only stare. The demons that had previously been flooding into the field with no foreseeable end had suddenly stopped. Curious as to the sudden end in the barrage, Sesshomaru turned to access the damage to the rest of his pack. Inuyasha was leaning heavily on his sword, near panting with exhaustion. The wolves were sitting in a tight circle tending to each other in their own way. The demon slayer and monk were leaning against each other, speaking quietly. There was someone missing, though. The dark hair miko, so full of life and laughter, was nowhere to be seen among the battlefield. He was sure that he had seen her fighting earlier, he had kept half an eye on her for most of the battle until Hakkudoshi had required all of his attention.

Wondering where the miko could be, he realized then that the vile one was also missing. He was about to seek out for her when the sky turned grey, blocking out the sun, and suddenly, everything was her screaming.

His heart felt like it had stopped beating, but when he touched his chest, he found it still beating. He had to find her.

'_Hold on, Kagome.'_

Her chest was pounding, her body throbbing, and her hands numb as she sat on her hands and knees on the ground. She couldn't catch her breath. She could vaguely hear Naraku laughing somewhere over her, but she couldn't pinpoint where. Dots of black and yellow sparkling in front of her eyes and she closed them briefly to try to re-orient herself. She needed to do this.

Even if she died. Even if she bled out as she told Naraku she would, she had to keep fighting.

She had a future to protect, a family to save, friends to keep safe, and children to take care of. No matter what it took, she needed to stand up and fight him.

'_Come on, Kagome, you gotta hold on,'_ she reminded herself as she pushed herself to her knees, and then slowly to her feet.

Naraku seemed impressed, and slightly peeved, that she was able to push herself to her feet as she held her sighed and gasped for breath, even when he broken ribs protested. He chuckled.

"Still up to fight, Kagome. I'm impressed."

Kagome took a deep breath before she spoke.

"If it's the last thing I do, I'll take you down Naraku," she repeated as she drew another arrow and wobbled on her feet as she tried to shoot him. She didn't know how long she had been fighting, the hour was nigh, but she could feel the hopelessness setting in as she shot and dodge a tentacle simultaneously. She didn't dodge fast enough.

The offending flesh ripped through her chest with such force that a dent formed around her body on the ground. A ragged gasp ripped through her throat and she felt like it was the last breath she was ever going to take. Naraku was cackling evilly near her and she knew that she needed to finish this now while he thought that she was finished. Wrapping her hands tightly around the appendage, she poured her entire body and soul into her powers and forced her reiki through the cells of the tentacle as the fire of her power tore toward Naraku's body. In shock, he couldn't move as the fire enveloped him and burned his entire body. The jewel was instantly purified and the purity of the jewel destroyed his body before he could utter a word.

The jewel fell harmlessly onto the ground a few feet from Kagome. Instinctually, she crawled desperately toward it. Her soul forced her to protect the jewel even in the last moments of her life. Wrapping bloody, cold fingers around it, she held it in a death grip.

And, true to her word, the last thing she did to destroy Naraku was bleed out as she lay in a helpless heap next to the well.

And that's how Sesshomaru found her. Bloody. Cold. Lifeless.

She was gone. All the innocence in the world was gone and everything right turned wrong as he could only stare at her.

Behind him, the wolves had caught up with him and cried. The entire group was hollering behind him as Sango began to cry, her eyes becoming puffy and red quickly as she ran at Kagome's body and rolled her over. The jewel rolled into the grass near her and she had a smile on her face.

Dark was descending and emptiness was all Sesshomaru knew as he gazed at the miko and tried to remember how to breathe. His face remained passive and reserved the entire time he stared at her.

He was not going to let her go. He could be her scarecrow, protecting her from the dark crows of death and its messengers. The tenseiga was throbbing furiously at his side and he didn't hesitate to unsheathe it and step forward. Sango, her eyes red, scooted away from the girl's body as the taiyoukai proceeded forward to stand over his miko. With a quick sweep, he dispelled the guardians of death and waited with baited breath as her flesh sewed together and he waited for her to breathe.

One.

Two.

Three.

Kagome felt herself surface, felt herself breath the barrier and her eyes flew open. Staring up, she couldn't help but smile at the sight before her. Sesshomaru's face, seemingly cold, but his bright eyes shone with worry and his own kind of affection.

"Why?" he demanded harshly. Kagome smiled at him, reaching up a hand to stroke his stripes and cup his cheek. He leaned into her touch, but his eyes still shone with demand for an answer.

"Because, I was willing to bleed out to take him down. I'll bleed out for you."

Barely, she could see him smile and she knew that she was forgiven.

"_I'm bleeding out for you."_


End file.
